Annalee Newitz

In the Star Trek universe, humans no longer make war on each other and don't use money. Poverty has been eradicated and so have sexism, racism, and various other -isms. Science fiction often predicts the future accurately, but do you think humanity could ever really achieve that level of enlightenment?

Starfleet's most impressive ship, the Enterprise, is devoted to exploration and peace. And it seems as if radical social change would be required to get humans to a point where we could handle (without destroying ourselves) the technological developments in the Star Trek universe, like warp drives, replicators, and immersive virtual reality rooms (AKA holodecks).

Do you think this scenario is realistic? What is the least or most realistic part? The "we have transcended war and money" part, or the warp-enabled ships? Be sure to include a few reasons for your answer, and pictures!